The John Key-led Government had the opportunity to defend its stance on the Mixed Ownership Model Bill when debate on the Committee Stage began yesterday afternoon.
Bill English led off the the Government, challenging David Shearer to make it clear before the Third Reading debate that Labour would buy back any portion of assets put up for Mum and Dad investors. Even Whaleoil was praising English's speech; it was a beauty.
But Tony Ryall stole the show; not long after we blogged his "Remember When?" media release, he was on his feet and in fine form; here's his speech, courtesy of www.inthehouse.co.nz:
Tony Ryall is right on the money when he talks about last year's election result (around the 10 minute mark). Anyone who took the time to inform themselves as to the various parties' policies before last year's election could not have escaped the asset sales debate. Labour's Stop Asset Sales billboards were everywhere. And National made it clear that the Mixed Ownership Model was a key part of its policy suite.
What happened on 27 November 2011? National recorded the highest vote by any party in six MMP elections. And Labour recorded its lowest vote in more than 70 years, and its lowest ever under MMP; the electorate spoke loudly and clearly. And the moment that John Key was able to go to the Governor-General and advise him the Key had the numbers to form a government. then John Key had his mandate.
And Ryall makes another great point shortly before his reflection on the 2011 numbers; National was upfront with the public, and totally transparent with its plan to legislate for mixed ownership of selected SOE's. Contrast that with Phil Goff's Labour Party in 1987 (Goff was a Minister throughout the 1984-1990 period); privatisation was never taken to the electorate, and assets were sold under cover of electoral darkness, with mandate neither sought nor received.
Labour's opposition to asset sales now is the polar opposite of what Labour did when in government in the period 1984 to 1990. Phil Goff, Annette King and Trevor Mallard are forever linked to Labour's past, and whatever they say or do, history can not be rewritten. We are glad that Tony Ryall has exposed their hypocrisy so eloquently and effectively.
UPDATE: Over at Kiwiblog, DPF summarises the differences between this plan, and Labour's fire-sales of the 1980's.
UPDATE: Over at Kiwiblog, DPF summarises the differences between this plan, and Labour's fire-sales of the 1980's.
1 comment:
Of course the soft cock MSM trot out a procession of people who claim to have voted for National and do not support "assett Sales" all impossible to verify, and employ dodgy "poll" figures when all thinking people understand it is so easy to manipulate figures in a poll by subtle variations of question content.
Meanwhile back in the Jungle National continues to enjoy acceptance levels that are still at historical highs in the MMP environment.
Ele at Homepaddock regularly publishes the abysmal annual profit returns on the capital value of Landcorp's holdings yet if a poll asked should the government should sell down that assett base of course the ignorant would say NOOOOOOO!
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